The Unexpected
by KokiriQueen
Summary: Kahle is a beginner level student at the Knight Acadamy in Skyloft. Being an outcast, she develops a close relationship with her instructor, Owlan. Though many threats pose for Kahle and Owlan, their connection bests all troubles. But what happens when one of their lives is jeopardized? *The beginning of the story takes place 7 years before Link and Zelda's journeys*
1. Prologue

***Author's Note***  
><strong> Hi everyone! So, this is a fanfic about Instuctor Owlan in Skyward Sword and how he falls in love with one of his students (Kahle - and it is pronounced just like Kale, but i added the silent 'h' for effect) and the story proceeds in a romantic and simple matter, until things get exciting! So, I hope you like it, and please understand that this is my interest, and that I am writing this story because I want to, so please be kind towards it. If you don't like the topic, don't read it! But it is a well-thought-out story, so i would appreciate support. <strong>

**Also, there is some ZeLink pairing in this, just more towards the end of it, but I promise it is coming. So, please read and enjoy!**

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><p>In an ancient time, there were three almighty goddesses who created the world known as Hyrule. These three goddesses symbolized the three mighty components in the world; Din, representing power, Nayru, representing wisdom, and Farore, representing courage. Din, using her fiery arms, created the solid base for Hyrule. Nayru expelled her wisdom across the land that Din had created, establishing law and order for all the land. The rich-souled Farore created mankind to uphold the order created by Nayru. With their work done, the three goddesses returned to the heavens. Before returning to the heavens, the goddesses left a symbol of their ruling; the Triforce. The Triforce was made up of small remnants of each of the goddess's mighty work. Each goddess was given an equal amount of the Triforce as the others. The top triangle represented Din and her right to power. The bottom left triangle represented Nayru and her right to wisdom. The bottom right triangle represented Farore and her right to courage. With the even amount of each component in the Triforce, it's overall power could be deadly, granting whatever wish the holder of all three pieces desires, good or evil. With such an insurmountable amount of power in Hyrule, the goddesses feared who would come for it. So as they departed for the heavens, the goddesses left one being to watch over it. Her name was Hylia, and she became known as the goddess to the people. Hylia protected the Triforce from any sort of evil, though rare amounts of any were exploited. Hylia had faith that her people would not attempt to take the Triforce for their own, and she was right. All was well in Hyrule for the time being.<p>

However, trouble did arise.

One day, as if from the Underworld itself, a demon arose. His name was Demise. It turns out he was the almighty Demon Lord who presided over all evil things in the world. As soon as he surfaced, lots of trouble arose with him. Monsters began raiding the lands, killing and taking innocent people hostage. Demise sought to take the sacred relic for himself and wish for the destruction of the land that the goddesses had built, but Hylia refused to give it up. She did everything she could to fight off Demise yet also keep her people safe. After years and years of fighting and sorrow, Hylia was finally able to seal away Demise, though suffering horrendous wounds in the process. Though he was sealed away, the Goddess knew the seal would not hold forever, for the monsters still roamed the earth. So Hylia gathered what was left of her people, and rose a piece of land high into the sky, above the clouds and far away from Demise and his monsters. She took the sacred relic along with her, intending to keep it out of Demise's hands for all eternity. She created a livable surrounding for her remaining people, and this became known as _Skyloft_.

When Hylia realized that her wounds were too deep to cure, she knew her time with her people would be cut short. She knew she would be able to watch over them from a distance along with the three almighty goddesses, but what worried her was evil finding it's way to the people. They would have no one to guide them.

So Hylia created a sort of system. She brought up the birds from below and enlarged them, creating a viable companion for mankind. Each child of Skyloft, upon birth, would receive a guardian loftwing. This loftwing would be used for protection and transportation throughout the skies, though the mighty birds were given a strict instruction to never go beneath the clouds, to _The Surface_. Through time, the birds simply forgot how to do that, so it was not a problem. The cloud barrier served as a gate for Skyloft, keeping all monsters and threats beneath.

Hylia was finally calm about her passing, but before she left, she knew that one day, Demise would return, and there would be one Chosen Hero to protect the world from his horrors. She left behind a sword like no other, one that could defeat any evil. It was known as the Goddess Sword, not yet obtaining its full abilities. She left a servant with the sword, known as Fi, who would guide the Hero throughout his quest to defeat Demise. The Hero would have to obtain 3 sacred flames that Hylia left in 3 separate locations on the surface in order to bring out the sword's true evil-relinquishing identity. But the time for the Hero to appear in Skyloft would not come for many ages.

Peace had come over Skyloft, and throughout years, the tales of the war had vanished and the rumors of the Surface had worsened, preventing any curiosity of it, until the time came. Humanity was rebuilt on the courage and sacrifice of the Goddess, and a statue was created in her honor. The citizens of Skyloft created a school, known as the Knight Academy, in which they would train their youth in the combat of war, in case trouble ever arose again. Though centuries and centuries passed and no trouble came, several would timidly await the arrival of a problem. None ever did until Hylia had predicted. The Chosen Hero and the reborn Goddess were planned to be the first to revisit the Surface, but Hylia had not taken precautions to if someone were to fall over the edge...


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note - Wooo, chapter 2 is up! So, anyone who reads this story, thank you so much even for just giving my writing a chance. Also, if you do end up enjoying this story, I'm really planning to not be one of those people who updates every year, because I know the struggle of waiting for a story/book. So I hope to update at least every month, if not every 2-3 weeks. **

**This chapter actually gets into Kahle's life, and even some of her backstory. If you have trouble picturing her, she has a petite figure with long brown hair and simple green eyes. She's not necessarily pretty, but she's definitely not ugly. **

**And if you have played Skyward Sword before, you'll know that in the dorms in the Knight Acadamy, they do share sort of like a divider with people, so that is what I will be referencing throughout this story. **

**If you have any questions about the plot or anything, please PM me! I'd really appreciate it :) and feel 100% free to review!**

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><p>Commotion was running high in Skyloft. It was move-in day. The first day of the beginner level at the Knight Acadamy. The 16 year old students would be moving into their divided rooms and begin their training. Once this year was completed, they would move on to the intermediate and expert levels, and graduate from the Knight Academy at the age of 18. There were 4 girls and 6 boys in this year's beginner level class. 2 people would move into one room, a divider separating them. The girls would be upstairs with the intermediate and expert level girls, and the boys would be the same downstairs.<p>

Kahle, one of the new beginner students, had just carried her last bag into her room. She set the bag down near the dresser and sighed. She tied her long brown hair back into a simple braid down her back, and examined her blue knight uniform hanging from her new dresser. It was a regular tunic with a brown belt around the waist, white tights and a blue hat to accompany it. This is the uniform the beginner level students would wear for the next 3 years, and if they decided to pursue further knighthood, for the rest of their working lives. The intermediate level students' color was a garb orange color, and the expert level students' had an easy green.

Kahle was a bit of an outcast. She was the only child who had pointed ears, and was often teased about it. Because of the teasing, Kahle never grew close to any of the children her age at all throughout the years. She mostly relied on the company of her very own bright yellow loftwing. He was her best friend. When she was 5, she decided to name him Octavian, mostly because she had read it in a book and it sounded mystical. But as she grew, her and Octavian grew close.

Kahle was reliant on the company of her loftwing when she was lonely. She had trouble interacting with other children, mostly due to the fact that her parents died when she was very young. Her father acquired a very rare disease among the residents of Skyloft, and had infected her mother as well. The headmaster of the Knight Acadamy, Gaepora, had adopted Kahle in once her mother was infected, as he did not want Kahle to suffer as well. Two weeks later, Kahle, who was 4 years old at the time, was informed of her parents' deaths. Of course, she didn't understand the severity of it at such a young age. Unfortunetely, Gaepora was expecting a child with his wife, and could not keep Kahle. So Kahle was sent with a foster family. Their names were Idna and Weslic, Wes for short. They were a humble family, not drawing much attention to themselves. Kahle lived a decently fulfilling childhood with her new family, though not necessarily a happy one. She often thought of her parents, but learned to move on.

As Kahle approached her 16th birthday, she began to distance herself from her foster family. She no longer saw them as the loving family they once were. Wes had turned bitter and cruel, and Idna was under constant stress of Wes's bad mood. So when it came time for Kahle to move into the Knight Acadamy, all three were silently overjoiced. Kahle had lost a second family, but this loss was not nearly as great as the first. She learned to be alone, and she was okay with it.

While unpacking her bag in her new room, she put a picture of her parents right next to her bed. She had come across that picture when she was young, and she cherished it ever since.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Kahle said, wondering who would want to meet her or visit her so early. She prayed it wasn't Idna or Wes.

The person entered. It was Headmaster Gaepora.

"Hello Kahle. I came to see how things are settling in." He said.

She continued unpacking while talking. "Things are going good so far."

"That's good. Have you met any new friends yet?" He asked, a little too eagerly.

Kahle sighed. "No."

"I know Idna was a little worried about you. She said you were always... outside the circle."

"And what did she mean by that?"

"Just that you never typically enjoyed playing with the other children. You enjoyed being along. She just wanted to make sure you were okay." He said.

"Well, you can let her know that I am okay, and that it's perfectly fine to prefer your own company to others." Kahle finished. Idna was always inconsiderate of what she was saying, not really knowing if it was offensive or not.

"I'll inform her. If you need anything, my office is upstairs." He said with a smile. Kahle returned the smile, appreciative for his care. He left, and she finished unpacking. When she finished, she settled on her bed with her schedule, studying it for the upcoming year. It seemed her teacher for the year would be instuctor Owlan. She knew the teaching system here. There was one instructor for each level. Owlan for beginners, instuctor Horwell for imtermediates, and experts mostly had the headmaster, but they spend a fair amount of time in the sparring hall, learning the ways of combat.

Several minutes later, there was another knock on the door. This time, Kahle got up to answer the door. It was a girl.

Letting herself in, the girl introduced herself. "Hi, my name's Asha. I believe I share a divider with you."

Kahle looked at the fake wall with a space between the wall and ceiling. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you."

"Wouldn't you say these three years are just a waste of time here? I mean, there's no danger in Skyloft anyway, so what's the point of even becoming a knight? There's nothing to fight off." Asha said, and her enthusiasm about the topic caught Kahle off guard.

"Uh, well, I guess you never really know when a threat could present itself, so it's better to be prepared." she said.

"Yeah well I hate having to be holed up in here for three years of my life. I mean, learning basic math and logic and stuff was bad enough when I was younger, now I've gotta sit in a boring classroom for three more years." she ranted, and the more eager she got, the more shrill her voice became.

"I-" Kahle began, but Asha interupted her.

"It better be worth it, because I hear our beginning instructor is a total babe." Asha giggled. Kahle just stared at her.

"I wouldn't know." Kahle said.

Asha sighed. "Well, I'm gonna go. My friends are in the room next to us, and I'm so mad they got paired together." she said, and left.

"Okay, bye." Kahle said sarcastically to herself. She already didn't like Asha. She was too arrogant for Kahle's liking. She wasn't even going to try to get along with her. After all, there are only three other girls in Kahle's class, and if Asha was friends with the other two, there was no point.

After memorizing her schedule, Kahle decided to walk around the Acadamy and get a feel for the actual layout of the place. She left her schedule on her bed and walked out. She checked out all the rooms and went to find where her classroom was. She headed down the stairs, but when she turned the corner, she bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry." she said, looking up at the person, and was surprised by what she saw. He was a tall figure, at least 6 feet tall, with bleach blonde hair and an extremely tan complexion. His figure was fit, with a small portion of his clean muscular chest showing underneath his off-white robe. His hands were on her shoulders for balance after the run-in. He smiled a very white smile at her.

"Oh, no really, it's my fault." he said in a deep, alluring voice. She noticed his eyes were a bright gold color, very rare among the people of Skyloft.

"Woah, your eyes..." she said before she even knew it. Her hand shot up to her mouth, as if to retract the words she just said. He simply laughed.

"Yes, they're gold. I'm the last of the people of Skyloft to obtain them. They are quite fascinating. I, myself, have studied them extensively." he said. Kahle also noticed he had long pointed ears, like her, which were also uncommon in Skyloft. Headmaster Gaepora's daughter Zelda has them and so does another young child named Link, but those are the only people with pointed ears in Skyloft.

"Are you a student here?" she asked, once again without considering the outcome.

"No, I am one of the instructors. My name is instructor Owlan, I teach the beginners class." he said.

"Really? You're my instuctor?" she said. "But, you're so young."

"Ah, yes, most of my students are surprised. I'm only 22 years old. I was the wisest of my graduating class, therefore I began teaching directly out of the Acadamy." he explained. Kahle was surprisingly intrigued by him. "But to be more direct, I should be the one to say, you're my student?" he phrased it as more of a question than a statement, which Kahle had not expected from someone so sophisticated.

"Yeah, I'm a beginner this year. I turned 16 a month ago." she said. Owlan raised his eyebrows and almost nodded in some sort of approval. "Why? Do I look too young or something?"

"No, no, that's not it at all. You almost seem more mature, like you've experienced a great amount in your lifetime. I can see it in your eyes." he stated. Kahle didn't know wether to feel flattered or a little weirded out. He seemed like an alright guy, so she took it as flattery.

"Well, you're actually right. Not to seem attention-seeking, but lots of people don't know that I've had quite the 16 years under my belt." she said, looking away and blushing. She knew he was studying her. His intellect was almost strong enough to see. "I'm sure hoping this is gonna be a brand new start for me."

"And I hope I can have a position in helping you with your new start. I'll do my best to make your first year a great one." he smiled once more, and Kahle became more appreciative of his kindness.

"Thanks, it actually means more than you would know. So, I'll see you around instructor." she finished, suddenly wanting to drift away from the slight awkwardness. Owlan nodded, as if understanding what she wanted.

"I take it I will see you on the first day of class tomorrow." he said.

Kahle grit her teeth. "Yes, but, and I hope this doesn't sound too harsh or mean or anything, but could you act like we've never met? It's just the girl I share a divider with has already developed a crush on you, and if I say hi to you, she will get real jealous."

Owlan laughed. "Ah, there's always one."

"Always one what?"

He leaned against the wall, obviously about to go into a great explanation. "There's always one beginner student every year that thinks I'm some gift from the goddess. I don't even know what it is. Sometimes it's my hair, sometimes it's my body, sometimes it's just the way I talk. But one, and in some cases several of my students develop these massive feelings for me. It puts me in a rather debatable position." he finished, seemingly confused by the explanation he just gave.

Kahle simply laughed with him. "I can't believe this has actually happened to you before. The foster family I grew up with always taught me that teacher/student relationships are nearly forbidden on every inch of the sky."

Owlan nearly flinched at her mention of a foster family, but not large enough for her to notice. "Well, you'd be surprised. I've never been able to have a normal conversation like this with a female student. This is rather nice."

Kahle blushed once more. "Well, you haven't got to worry about me, instructor. I live by the rules I was brought up with."

Owlan's smile faded slightly, but kept a gleam in his eye. "Thank you for that. Knowledge that I have trustworthy and clean students is great news."

"I'll bet. Well, I'll see you around instructor. I'm going to explore the campus a bit." she said, moving away from the stairwell on the opposite side of him.

"Ah, I'd offer you a tour, unfortunetely I'm already late for a meeting with the headmaster." he said.

"That's too bad. See you later instructor." she finished.

"See you tomorrow, oh!" he said, and she turned around. "I never caught your name."

"It's Kahle, with an h in the middle." she said sincerely.

"Wow, that's an extraordinary name." he complimented.

"My parents, as I'm told, were extraordinary people." she replied. Then, they went their seperate ways. Kahle went towards the classrooms and the dining hall, Owlan went up the stairs and into the headmasters room.

After the run-in with her new instructor, Kahle continued her search for the classrooms. She found two, the first was empty and labeled for the expert class. The second was labeled for the intermediate class, and someone was in it. Since Kahle was not able to find the beginners classroom, she decided to ask.

The person in the room was nearly the same size and fit as instructor Owlan, except for a few differences. This man had long brown hair, much paler skin, and his cloth over his robe was red, rather than Owlan's blue. Also, Kahle noticed that this man did not have pointy ears like her and Owlan, and his eyes were much smaller.

So, in need of directions, Kahle knocked on the wall just inside the classroom, and the man looked up from a book. An instant smile crept across his face, and he looked more natural that way. "Yes, can I help you?"

Kahle couldn't help but to return the smile. "Could you direct me to where the beginners classroom is? I'd just like to know where I'm going tomorrow."

"Of course." the man said, and he stood up and walked over near Kahle. She was very intrigued by this man, much more than she was with Owlan. He stood in the doorway and pointed. "It's just next to the door, a little ways down from the dining hall."

Kahle moved next to him. "That seems like an odd location, given that the other two are here."

"Oh, it is great to finally meet someone who shares that belief with me!" The man said enthusiastically. "It only makes sense for the expert classroom to be by the door, seeing as they make constant trips to the sparring hall."

"Exactly. Whoever decided the locations of the rooms didn't add much sense to it." she said.

The man laughed and extended his hand. "I'm instructor Horwell, the intermediate level teacher."

"My name's Kahle, I'm a beginner this year." she said, shaking his hand. She admired his firm grip and noted how smooth his hands were.

"It's wonderful to meet you Kahle." he said, retaining the smile.

She let go of his hand. "I, uh, I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you in any way related to instructor Owlan? I don't know, you two just look exactly alike."

He slicked his hair back with his hand and sighed.

"You've gotten this a lot, haven't you?" Kahle asked, feeling awkward for asking now.

"It's quite alright. I can understand where people would see the similarities. We're even similar in age. But no, I have no close family relation to instructor Owlan. Perhaps some distant relation could prove us to be related in someway, but none that I am certain of." he said.

Kahle laughed. "Well, I do apologize for that. I just couldn't help but wonder."

"You wouldn't be the first one. Sometimes I even wonder myself." he said.

Kahle looked at the clock on the wall opposite them. It was 1:00 pm.

"Oh gosh, I didn't realize the time. I've got to go." she said.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you, Kahle. I look forward to having you in class next year." he said with a small smile.

Kahle shook his hand once more. "As to you instructor. I'll see you around." she said, and departed for the door. She passed the beginners classroom, and stopped in for a quick peek. It was a decently large classroom, and had 4 rows of desks with 5 seats in each row. Her class would just take up half of it.

It had always been a sensitive topic as to why the population on Skyloft had been getting smaller each year. It seemed there was one less student at the Knight Acadamy every year. Some say that it's just a dry spell, that they will go back to having 20-30 kids in each class soon, but there are some that base their suspicions off of ancient tales of a place called the Surface. Kahle was raised to never believe anything she heard about the Surface, no matter how convincing it sounded.

The tale of the Surface was nearly a legend. It had been so long since the time of the goddess that several people believe it could've never happened. It speaks of a land beneath the clouds. Of course, such talk nowadays is usually punishable. The land in the tales was rich and full of life and wealth and everyone was happy. There were thick green forests and a burning volcano and even a vast ocean. But the tales also speak of an unimaginable horror destroying the beautiful lands below, which forced the goddess to create Skyloft.

Kahle remembered a time at the Bazaar when she was small, and was approached by an odd, dirty man. Idna had described the man as crazy. He had come up to them and laughed hysterically. Idna tried to pull Kahle away from him, but he grabbed her.

He held his grip tight and whispered to her, "Don't believe anything they teach you. It's a lie, it's all a lie! They just don't want us to believe that there is hope of some place new! You don't know what they're hiding from you!"

Luckily, Idna had pried Kahle away from the man, who continued laughing and talking to himself. Kahle, at the time, had been traumatized by this experience. But as she grew, she began to question the importance of this man's reasons. Was he right? Was there things that the authorities weren't sharing with the public? She had never become too enthusiastic about the subject, but every now and then, her mind would drift towards the rumor of the Surface.

Kahle left the classroom, trying to focus her thoughts elsewhere. She exited the building, and the bright sun welcomed her. When she stepped outside, she heard the wind blowing and children playing in the distance.

_I suppose this life isn't all too bad, _she thought to herself, not quite sure if it was the truth or something she was just telling herself to believe.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note - Chapter 3 is here! So, this chapter gets a little more (one could say) intimate between Owlan and Kahle. Things will really start to heat up soon! Also, I sort of made time go by unusually quick in this chapter. Such as at one point, it's only 1:00, but then it's nearly night what seems like 10 minutes later. I guess that was just to set the point that ****_they spend a lot of time together_****. I won't exactly say who, but my prediction is that you could very well guess on your own. **

**Hope you like it! PM me with questions and don't forget to review!**

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><p>The first half of the afternoon proved brutal for Owlan. His meeting with headmaster Gaepora had been brief, consisting mostly of upcoming events for the school year. Once the meeting wrapped up, Owlan exited the headmaster's office, which was on the top floor. The teachers were also expected to stay in the dorms during the school year, the only exception being if they had a family to attend to. Of course, being a mere 22 years old, Owlan had no family, and stayed in the dorms.<p>

His dorm was upstairs, opposite of the headmasters, and furthest away from the downstairs classrooms. Due to this layout, he often passed students in the hallway when commuting between the classroom and his dormitory.

Unfortunately, he had remembered Kahle's warning of the girl who already formed a crush on him.

So, as he made his way down the seemingly endless hallway, Owlan flinched at nearly every creak or tap that he heard. Just when he thought he could make it to his room without interuption, the door directly on his left opened.

"Oh, oh!" the person said when they saw him. It was a girl in a blue tunic, telling him she was a beginner. _Great, _he thought. _This has got to be her. _And just as he suspected, it was.

"You're instructor Owlan, correct?" she said, making her voice slightly more shrill and annoying. Owlan tried his best to act normal as he does every year when talking to the students who develop crushes on him.

"Indeed, I am." he said, managing a smile. The girl had short blonde hair, which was not nearly as appealing as Kahle's long brown hair.

_Woah_. Where did that thought come from? He had no intentions of thinking of Kahle in any further image than his regular student. He pushed the thought aside to focus on his act.

The girl extended her hand. "I'm Asha. I'm gonna be in your class this year. I'm a beginner." she said, attempting (and failing!) to sound seductive. Owlan had no choice but to shake Asha's hand to be polite. She held on a little too long for his delight. He also noticed that she exaggerated the word _beginner_, as if trying to sound helpless in front of him. He nearly scoffed.

"Well, Asha, it's wonderful to meet you." he stated, not too sure if he believed it himself. A pronounced smile crept across her face, making Owlan very uncomfortable. "Now, I must go, but I will see you in class tomorrow." he forced another smile.

"You're leaving already? I was hoping to maybe chat a bit longer." she stated, twirling her hair between her fingers.

"No, I really have to go. I've got to prepare for classes tomorrow. So sorry." he said, slowly beginning to back away from her.

Asha took a deep breath. "Okay, then I guess I'll just see you tomorrow instructor." she smirked as she said this.

"Yes." Owlan said quietly as he turned away from her to nearly complete the distance to his room. Unfortunately, he knew Asha was still watching him, and he didn't want her to get an early knowledge of where his room was, so he decided to play it off by going out the door. It was a beautiful day outside, the sun was shining and the town was lively. He looked up at the massive structure dedicated to the goddess next to the sparring hall. It really was quite beautiful.

Owlan took a short walk throughout the heart of Skyloft, known as the Bazaar. It was nearly the only shopping site in all of the town, apart from several night businesses. The Bazaar was one large building, and inside were several small businesses. One could find potions, simple items, even a fortune teller. Nearly anything and everything that the residents of Skyloft required for their daily life could be found at the Bazaar. It was also a quite popular hangout for people who just want to sit and enjoy some of the kitchen's fresh soup.

So the instructor entered the Bazaar, seeing the vitality spring up a great amount as soon as he walked in. And of course, there were the small shops, though several had begun to close for the evening. He took a seat at the common area, savoring the delicious smell of today's soup at the kitchen. After several moments alone, he noticed a familiar person at the table next to his.

"Kahle!" he said, with, as he thought, a bit too much enthusiasm. She brought her head up from the book it had been buried in, and a large smile came across her face.

"Hello instructor. I'd say long time no see, but..." she held her hands up to show what she had meant. Instantly he smiled.

"Indeed. How have things been in the whopping 1 hour since I last saw you?" he said, and she got up and joined him at his table.

"Very well, actually. I successfully found my way to the classroom, therefore I will not get lost tomorrow." this comment made Owlan smile, "I also met one of the other instructors. He was the intermediate instructor."

"Ah, instructor Horwell. Yes, he's a good friend of mine. Quite a nice man as well."

"Yeah, I really liked talking to him!" Kahle said with enthusiasm. For a reason unknown to him, this comment put Owlan on edge.

"Is that so? Well, I would imagine. He's a very riveting person." he replied, hoping she wouldn't go into further discussion about his fellow teacher.

"You know, the first thing I said to him was how much he looked like you." Kahle said.

"Yes," Owlan nodded and propped his elbows on the table, crossing his hands. "That is very common among people who meet the two of us for the first time. Nonetheless, I could predict that both he and I have given the explanation of our non-relation many times over."

"I would guess so." Kahle said with a playful smile. "Instructor?" she looked at him sincerely, like she had an unresolved topic on her mind. "Could I ask you a question?"

"Of course, that's what I'm here for."

"Well, obviously, but this question, it's more on a sensitive level. Is that alright?" she said, fiddling with her hands uncomfortably.

"You can always talk to me about anything and ask me anything." he replied, trying to make sure she knew he was there for her through any matter.

"Okay well," she shifted in her chair and brought her voice down to a whisper. "have you ever wondered about... About _the surface_?"

Owlan's eyes shot to meet hers. He was sure he had a panicked look on his face, though he tried to keep calm. No one had mentioned or even thought about the surface in centuries. It was nearly forbidden.

He looked around them to make sure no one was listening, before he said to her, "Let's go for a walk, someone might hear us in here."

Kahle gave a small smile, grateful that he didn't shoot her down and was going to help her as best he could. She got up and walked beside him out of the Bazaar. The sun had shifted slightly in the sky, making it approximately 4:00 pm. The two were walking close together to avoid being heard.

"Why the sudden interest in, you know what? Or have you always been curious?" he asked quietly, just audible enough for her to hear.

She swayed her arms behind her back. "I don't know. I guess this big change into the Knight Acadamy has really got me wondering what the rest of the world is like beneath the clouds. It also got me thinking about what I want to do with my life."

Owlan raised his eyebrows. "Wow, I'm impressed you're already thinking about a topic at your age. You're 16, correct?"

"Yes, I'm told I'm one of the oldest in my class. My foster family debated whether or not they wanted to send me one year ahead or behind. They decided since I was just a little bit slow that they should send me a year behind." she said.

"Slow?" Owlan asked. "I couldn't imagine someone as bright as you being slow."

Kahle smiled. "Thank you for that, but you'll see what I mean. I don't process things as quickly as other people, and I'm not nearly as social. I haven't gotten along this well with someone in, well actually, in all my life."

He nearly tripped over his own feet at this remark. "What? How are you not social?"

"I had no friends growing up. I prefered being by myself for flying around on my loftwing. Trust me, you're the closest thing I've had to a friend in my entire life." she confessed. Owlan secretely smiled to himself.

"Well, I bet anything you'll hit it off with the students at the Acadamy, if not the first day then the first week! You're quite a joy to be around." he said, not knowing if he should've confessed what he just did. By this point, he couldn't deny it. He felt something for Kahle, and if it wasn't affection then he just enjoyed being around her.

"I'd take that bet! I already know the other girls are snobs." she said. "I don't know if you've met Asha..."

"Oh, I've met Asha." he said, with extreme annoyance in his voice. Kahle looked at him and burst out laughing. For a while, she didn't stop. Her uncontrollable laughter was not just curious to Owlan, but it made him begin laughing as well. After several minutes of Kahle laughing and trying to regain her stability, she was finally able to speak again.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why that was so funny. It was just the way you said it, it made her sound like a complete burden to you." she said, still grinning widely.

"Well, I can certainly vouch for that." he said, causing Kahle to begin laughing all over again.

"You have no idea how happy it made me that you said that." she said, once she stopped laughing. Throughout their walk so far, the two had slowly began to walk closer together. At one point, their hands brushed each others. Owlan could see that Kahle quickly pulled her hand back and blushed. Neither of them decided to acknowledge it. After a lap around the Bazaar, they started to walk near the fields by the waterfall.

As they walked alongside the small stream, Owlan remembered the reason they were talking in the first place.

"Oh, Kahle, what was it you wanted to ask me about," he checked to make sure no one was near, "about the surface?"

It looked as if a light bulb went off in her head. "Right! Well, first of all, I know it's like dangerous and bad to talk about it, but why is it, like, absolutely forbidden?" he could tell she was utterly confused when she asked this.

"Well, as far as I know, the surface is a horrendous place. I grew up with tales that made me fear the surface for near eternity. My mother used to tell me that the land was flooded with brutal monsters, and that there was a great evil that ruled it all, and that's why the goddess made Skyloft." he said, still mesmerized by the tale his mother told him.

"But didn't you ever question if that was really true or not?" she told him.

"Not exactly. My father forbade any talk of it after that first conversation."

"Well, mine did too, but isn't that a bigger reason to be all the more curious?" she finished, and her comment did make Owlan rethink everything he grew up believing.

"If you really want to know more, headmaster Gaepora is the one to talk to about it. He knows much more than I do, and I think he's got several books in his study about it." he said to her, and he saw her face sink. He suddenly felt extremely horrible. "Look, Kahle, I'm really sorry I can't give you more information. I told you everything I know of the surface."

"Yeah, it's okay. You've told me more than anyone ever has told me, so thank you for that." she replied with a smile. The sun had begun to sink, and they could see that people were leaving the Bazaar.

"It must be getting late, we should head back to the acadamy." Owlan said, secretly regretting saying this. He felt as if he could stay up and talk with her all night.

To himself, Owlan confessed that he was worried about his relationship towards Kahle. In one day of talking to her for just a few hours, his feelings had begun to change. He'd never felt like this about anyone or anything. He debated to himself that it was nothing more than the feeling of having a good friend to discuss important matters with, but part of him also argued that it was something more, and gosh he wished it wasn't something more. He did enjoy having someone like this in his life, who he could just sit and chat with, but he feared for where it would lead.

They took the extra flight of stairs outside the acadamy for easy access to the top floor. Owlan didn't want to admit that he had work to do in his classroom, so he just went along with her route. They entered the acadamy, and he walked Kahle to her room.

"This is me." she said, and turned to face him. "Thank you for everything, instructor. I mean, you allowed me more information that I actually wanted to know than anyone else ever has, and that means a lot to me."

He nodded. "It was my pleasure. I'm just glad my afternoon didn't end up as bad as it started."

Kahle smiled at him. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, and don't worry, I haven't forgotten the deal about the 'pretend I don't know you'." he said, which made Kahle giggle.

"Thank you, instructor."

"Have a good night." he said.

"You as well." she finished, before going into her room.

As Owlan walked down the stairs, he smiled to himself. But before long, he shook his head. _Get yourself together_, he told himself. _She's your student._ Though no matter how many times he told himself that, he couldn't help but think about her the rest of the night.

Meanwhile, Kahle had entered her room and sat at her desk. She realized that she was still thinking about Owlan. In spite of this, she pulled a journal out of her last unpacked box and began to furiously write in it.

While she was writing, someone barged into her room. Quickly shutting the journal, she turned to see who it was.

And who else should be standing there but Asha.

"You know," Kahle began, putting her journal in the top drawer in her desk, "some say that it's polite to knock first."

Asha didn't look amused or even the slightest bit sorry for her abrupt intrusion. She crossed her arms at her chest. "What were you doing with intructor Owlan?" she must've seen them outside Kahle's door.

Kahle stood up across from her visitor. "Talking."

"...Talking? About what?" she demanded.

"Stuff." Kahle replied.

Asha exhaled very obnoxiously. "What _kind_ of stuff?"

"Life, school, things that regular people talk about." Kahle replied, not knowing what Asha expected.

"Oh. So, so you were just, talking?" Asha said, seemingly dumbfounded.

"Yes, is that concept hard for you to grasp or something?"

"No, no. I just wanted to make sure." she turned and began to walk out.

"Wait, Asha, why?" Kahle said. Asha turned around again.

"Why what?" she asked sarcastically, clearly trying to avoid the topic.

"Why did you want to know what I was doing with Owlan?" now Kahle crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto her left leg, expecting an answer.

Asha fidgeted with her arms. "I, uh, I just... I just wanted to check."

Kahle let out a laugh. "I hope you know that he knows you have a crush on him."

"What? Did you tell him that? I don't!" Asha squealed.

"He figured it out himself. You might wanna work on that." Kahle gave her a snarky wink and sat down on her bed.

Asha scoffed at Kahle. "Do you think you're cool just because you're friends with the hot instructor?"

"I'm not even friends with him. Just let it go, okay? You can have him." Kahle replied, dreadfully wishing she would leave already.

"That's right. You'd better watch yourself." Asha warned.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Kahle said, opening the book she was reading earlier and not processing what Asha just said. Luckily, Asha didn't want to argue anymore either, so she left without another word.

Kahle rolled her eyes and thanked the goddess Farore for not making her as stubborn as Asha. She also decided that she didn't want to be apart of a rivalry for the rest of her school years, so she vowed to back off of Asha, and let her do what she wants.

Before bed, Kahle hid her journal deep in her dresser, deciding she didn't trust Asha. At 10:00 pm, she settled in for bed, setting an alarm for 7:00 am when she was to get up for her very first day at the Knight Academy.

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><p><strong>So, the next chapter will be the first day at the Academy for both Kahle and Asha. How will they react to being in the same class? Will Asha want to abide to the same "no rivalries" rule as Kahle? What about instructor Owlan? Just wait and see! I'll get chapter 4 up as quick as I can!<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note - Hello everyone! So here's chapter 4, although I have it labeled as chapter 3 because I included the prologue when I set the chapters. So, this chapter is all about the first day at the Knight Academy, and I guess it's not super exciting, but I promise, some exciting stuff will be happening in upcoming chapters soon! **

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>The next day, Kahle awoke to her alarm at 7:00 sharp. She didn't have to be to class until 9:00 am, giving her enough time to ready herself and organize her school supplies. She knew no one, except a few, would be up for at least another hour.<p>

All the books she acquired for the school year laid spread across her desk. One by one, she put them in her school bag, putting them in order from most-likely-to-be-important to why-do-we-even-need-this. Slipping out of her pajamas, Kahle fastened her royal blue tunic comfortable around her and fastened the belt to the last slot. It was then that she realized she could never pursue Knighthood after the academy, as she was too small.

She sighed, sat on her bed, and began going through the other possible career options. There was nearly always a guaranteed job somewhere in the Bazaar, whether it was an extra cook in the kitchen, or someone else to promote the simple items. Though it was a likely back-up, Kahle did not want to settle herself down for the _Bazaar_. Though she was very fond of the place and found it quite homely and welcoming, she felt she was more fit for something of utter extravagance. Even if it was cleaning the goddess statue at night, it would still be more glamorous than aiding the horrendous fortune teller in the Bazaar, who had a serious _mis_fortune of telling someone their fate long after it had already happened to them.

For about 20 minutes, Kahle continued going through options in her head, before she eventually became overwhelmed with the amount of responsibility it would be, choosing a job of her own. She had a full 3 years before she had to do it for herself, and she would very much wait until then. She put her books in her bag, set her bag on her bed, and walked out into the hall.

It was still nowhere near 9:00 am yet, so Kahle just decided to head outside. She never really explored Skyloft in the early morning, usually no earlier than 10:00 am, as she had to do lots of chores when she woke at her home. When she stepped outside, a brush of crisp morning air met her. Bad weather was unusual in Skyloft, but most said when it did occur, it happened at night. No one had any solid reason for why the weather in Skyloft was so pleasant all the time, except for that the goddess made it that way. Though there were some folk who tried to persuade everyone that there was a certain evil about them, an evil that could not be seen or touched.

_Absurd, that's absolutely absurd_, as Idna used to always say when she heard that sort of talk. _There's not a sane mind on Skyloft who would believe that rubbish._ Wes would merely mumble as he puffed his pipe when Idna would ramble about such things. But Kahle wasn't exactly listening to Idna's constant ridicule of the presence of evil. She was picturing a world in her head, a perfect world. A warm place, but not just good weather. It had a feel about it that made you feel like you were truly home. This place was filled with meadows and flowers and bright colors. It had tall trees and a gorgeous waterfall. This was Kahle's idea of a true paradise.

But she would always snap back to reality when Idna would nudge her to keep along, and remind her that paradise is much too good to ask for. It was a place far too sacred for human interference.

What Kahle didn't realize was that while she was once again dreaming of her paradise, she had walked some distance away from the academy. The sun had pade a full appearance over the clouds by now, issuing the order of life to begin brewing in Skyloft. And indeed it had.

She heard the curtains of the Bazaar being rolled up, and the friendly chatter of fellow shop owners as they walked together into the grand shop. She heard splashes of the river in the distance, and the eased calls of mothers for their children to be careful near the water. There was a pleasant feel about the air, and it gave Kahle a comfortable feeling. _This is home_, she told herself. _Paradise may be too good to be true, but this is the closest thing to it. _She smiled.

Checking her watch, Kahle began heading back to the academy, as it was already 8:30. If you dazed off in Skyloft, it would seem as though a thousand lifetimes have passed in the small moment you had to yourself. She stopped back in her room to collect her book bag, and headed off to the classroom that Instructor Horwell had led her to the day before.

When she approached the classroom, she was slightly relieved to hear voices from inside. She walked in, and saw the familiar face of Instructor Owlan. He looked up from his paperwork, and gave her a small smile before returning to it. Surprisingly, Kahle was a little hurt by his lack of gesture. Of course, she remembered that she had indeed told him to do just as he did, but she figured they had a good friendship, which they could acknowledge.

Kahle took a seat in the second row in the last seat. Two boys, also in their blue tunics, sat a few seats over in the first row. They were the only others in the classroom besides Kahle and Owlan. Not long after, the other 4 boys came in, and sat in the third row, taking up all but one seat in that row. Now, Kahle observed that the only people they were now waiting on were Asha and her 2 sidekicks. It didn't seem as they were much of friends to Asha, just the only other girls that didn't absolutely disgust her.

At precisely 8:59, Owlan stood up to write his name on the board and begin class. Just before he spoke the first word, the three remaining girls came rushing in.

"Oh goodness, Instructor. I'm so sorry we're late, someone was in the bathroom all morning." Asha said, with her attempted innocent tone. Owlan merely rolled his eyes.

"And I do suppose all three of you were in need of the bathroom at the exact time that it was occupied _all morning_?" he said with a sarcastic tone, and pointed to the tables. Asha looked surprised at his attitude, and proceeded to the row Kahle was in. She sat one seat away from Kahle, and her minions sat beside her on the other side. Kahle let out a silent laugh when Owlan addressed Asha. The girl looked over as she sat down and shot Kahle a scowl.

"Now that everyone is here, we will begin our first lesson together. Now, as I have written on the chalkboard, my name is Instructor Owlan, and I will be teaching you the basics of Knighthood in Skyloft for your beginner year here at the academy. There are lots of methods you will learn, so it is crucial to keep up with your notes and study habits." he began pacing around the room, making sure all the students were listening. No one was a real trouble, until one hand shot up in the air.

"Um, instructor, I have a question."

He let out an audible sigh before answering. "Yes, Asha. What is your question?"

"Are you gonna teach us about, like, the history of Skyloft?" she said with her usual annoying high-pitched tone. Kahle perked up at this question, as she was eager to know if Owlan had in fact lied to her when he told her all he knew.

"No, that is saved for your third year, as the headmaster knows much more than I do." he said casually, shifting his eyes towards Kahle and revealing a small smile. Kahle sighed to herself. He really had told her the truth about all he knew. She didn't know why she doubted him, but a part of her just wondered...

Asha shifted in her seat uncomfortably, as if she didn't want the conversation to end there. Owlan began walking back to the front of the classroom. "Today will mostly be consisted of going over guidelines and my expectations of you all this year. This is the base year for your Knight academy career, and the skills you learn in this class, much more than any other year, will benefit you, even if you don't go into Knighthood."

The majority of the class that day, as Owlan had said, dealt with the guidelines of what they would be learning. He explained to them how they would have 4 hours of class from 9-1 in the morning, and then they would have the rest of the afternoon off, with the exception of pre-scheduled flying lessons to learn how to better control their loftwing. They would be learning different techniques about regular flying and how to teach their loftwings to perform certain tricks in the air. They wouldn't get to the more advanced techniques until their expert year at the academy.

The explanation of all the guidelines and rules took up about half of the class, as there were so many to go over. With the remaining time, Owlan began explaining the different breeds of loftwings.

"As you know, loftwings are unique to the person they protect. There are multiple colors of loftwings, the most common being purple, green, and orange. And I'm guessing most, if not all of you in here have one a loftwing that is one of those colors." he explained. Nearly everyone in the room nodded their head in agreement.

"Now, there are some rarities among the color of loftwings. I have seen several blue ones flying around, and I do believe the headmaster's daughter has the company of a blue loftwing. Those are less common than the primal colors, but not as unique as the colors yellow and crimson red." when Owlan said this, Kahle became very red in the face. Luckily, everyone was interested in what the instructor was teaching rather than her implied embarrassment.

One of the boys in the back raised his hand. "How many of those are there? I ain't never seen one." he said, looking very confused.

"As of now, I have only seen one of each. The crimson red one is still not full grown, so I suspect the owner should not be much older than 10 or 11 years. The yellow one is full grown, meaning the owner is an adult or could be someone in the academy or nearing the age to come to the academy. I, myself, do not know the owner of either." he explained.

What not many people, even her own family, did not know about Kahle, was that she was the one with the yellow loftwing. Octavian was a bird that many people admired when he flew overhead, but when Kahle would ride him, she would go far off into the sky so she would not be bothered with questions about how she obtained such a rare loftwing. To avoid being seen, she often flew to an isolated island on the edges of the massive storm cloud in the northwestern quadrant of the sky. It was a very tiny island, having only grass on the surface. Most people avoided it due to it's location next to the storm cloud.

Octavian was a truly majestic bird. Kahle made an instant connection with him when she was young. Most children take at least a year for their loftwing to be completely comfortable with them. Idna took a bragging right among the town when Kahle came home that day and told her about her loftwing and how she rode it. Most of the mothers in Skyloft were indeed jealous, but Kahle did not like that Idna took Kahle's very own accomplishment as her own. She had never even bothered to ask what color it was or what Kahle had named it.

Everyone in the class were discussing the color of their loftwings. Most of the boys had green, two had orange, and the three other girls all had purple. Then, Asha raised her hand.

"What color is your loftwing, instructor?" it was the first normal question she asked, and it was even at an appropriate time!

Owlan leaned back against his desk, and Asha sighed in admiration. _What's the matter with her? _Kahle thought. Luckily, Owlan didn't notice her sigh and answered her question.

"I've actually got a blue one myself. His name is Nostalgia." he said with pride. One of the boys in the back snorted.

"Nostalgia? That name's kinda girly for a guy loftwing, dontcha think?" he said, sounding harsh, but not meaning any offense.

Owlan simply smiled. "It's got a significant meaning behind it." of course, with Owlan's mention of something remotely personal to him, Asha perked up in her chair.

"Oh? What kind of significant meaning? Was it the name of your mother? Grandmother?" she blurted.

Owlan shook his head. "No, but I don't want to go into the explanation of choosing that name now." he said meekly. Asha sort of scowled, eagerly wishing to know more about him.

Kahle didn't even scoff at Asha's remark, she was too busy wondering about what Owlan had said about _significant meaning_. Being raised by Idna, she had a strong trait of knowing lots of words that normal teenagers wouldn't know the meaning of. And the word_ nostalgia _was not used in everyday life in Skyloft. But Kahle knew the meaning, and she was very curious about the reason behind his choice.

Nostalgia meant a strong sense of happiness directed toward a time of joy _in the past_. Why would Owlan want to remember the past? Maybe he just had some happy memories as a child, that was the viable reason, but for some reason she still wondered...

At about 12:30, Owlan began wrapping up the class. "Now, you only have class on weekdays. Saturday and Sunday you have off, though it wouldn't be so bad to spend your time studying or practicing out on your loftwing. Make sure you keep up with the work you will have here, and you will stay on top of things. That's all I have for you today." He went and sat at his desk. While the rest of the class began talking, Kahle went up to Owlan.

"Uh, instructor? Could I ask you a question?" she said. He smiled.

"Of course, Kahle. What can I do for you?" he responded.

"It's actually about my loftwing. He's been acting-" before she could finish her sentence, Asha came up and bumped her out of the way.

"I have a question instructor." she said obnoxiously, clearing trying to remove Owlan's attention from Kahle.

His smile faded into a slight frown. "Asha, can't you see I'm speaking with another student?" he pointed to Kahle. "Your question will have to wait just a second." he stood up and moved to Kahle.

Asha sighed. "But you wouldn't want to pick favorites, now would you instructor?"

At this remark, Owlan stopped. He looked back at Asha, who was smirking deviously. She knew that he was slightly interested in Kahle. He didn't know how she knew, but she knew. Owlan quickly debated in his head what to do. _If I deny Kahle, I would not be a very good instructor, but if I denied Asha, she could tell someone about what she suspects, _he thought. He had given no hints, not even subtle ones, that he liked Kahle, which made it even more curious about how Asha knew.

He looked at Kahle, who was staring at him with her eyes wide in anticipation. "Kahle, I'm sorry, but Asha clearly won't give this up. I'll be with you right after her."

She sighed and looked down. "That's okay, just take your time."

It nearly broke his heart when he had to walk away from her to the sassy blonde girl who just couldn't do without his attention. "Asha, what is your question? And try to make it quick, I want to get back to Kahle before the class ends."

She shook her head. "Kind of pathetic, don't you think?"

Owlan glared at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She laughed mockingly. "Yes you do, don't pretend you don't." she smirked again, and glanced towards Kahle, who was sitting back in her desk. He didn't look at her, but kept his gaze sternly on Asha.

"Please, before I don't answer it at all, what is your question?"

"It's actually about professions after the academy. Is it possible to just fly around the sky on your loftwing and get paid?" she asked giddily, clearly showing that she asked it just to get his attention away from Kahle.

Owlan sighed and quickly looked at Kahle. She was writing something down in her notebook. She looked quite innocent, really. He couldn't help but notice how feeble she seemed, as if she could be broken at any minute, but any strength of force. He almost pitied her, but he realized it wasn't pity, it was something much stronger that he felt. For now, he returned to Asha and attempted to answer her question.

After he had explained his answer to Asha as best he could and as quick as he could, he began to walk over to Kahle, but Asha stopped him with another question.

"Asha, I told you that I would appoint to Kahle next, as she did ask me first." he pointed out. Though she retained her devious smile.

"Why are you favoring her over me? Might I take this deal to the headmaster?" she said.

"Are you blackmailing me?" he scowled at her. "You haven't got a clue about anything, and anything you think you know is absolutely wrong."

"Oh really?" she said, raising her eyebrows and looking at Kahle again. This time, Owlan did look at the girl sitting in her desk. He had to think of an excuse to make Asha drop his case.

"I simply want to help a student who has a real question. But you've got it in your silly little head that I'm referring to favoritism." he said sternly.

Asha's smirk faded into somewhat of an angry frown. "Well it _is_ favoritism, isn't it? Don't deny yourself that little luxury and just admit it." she spoke.

Owlan held his ground. "It most certainly is not favoritism. Now, if you've got a serious question, ask it now, or I will walk away."

Asha, knowing she got her way, even in the most desperate way possible, retained to her somewhat false question. "What's in the cave near the waterfall? With the trees covering the entrance?"

Owlan glared. "You know what is in there. You're just wasting my time."

"It's a serious question. Please answer it. I'm curious." she said.

He glanced at the clock and noticed it was 12:58. He wouldn't have time to answer this question and help Kahle with hers. He sighed, and decided that it was no use to rush.

"That cave is infested with monsters. We do not know where they came from, or why they do not go beyond the trees into the areas of Skyloft, but they seem to stay in the cave for all hours of the day. No one has ever ventured to the other side of the cave and come out alive." he said, and just as he finished, the bell rang, signifying the end of the class.

Asha perked up at the sound of the bell. "Well, thank you for answering my questions, instructor. I'll see you tomorrow!" she skipped out of the classroom, joining her two sidekicks.

Owlan scanned the room of exiting students for Kahle, and he saw that she had just put her books away and would be the last to leave. He caught her on her way out.

"Kahle," she looked at him with a hint of hurt in her eyes, and he noticed it, "I am truly sorry for the delay. I did not know Asha would consume 30 minutes of my time."

"Oh, that's alright, instructor." she said plainly.

"If you would like, you could hang around for a bit and I could answer your question now." he suggested, secretly hoping she would say yes.

Unfortunately, her answer was not what he was hoping for. "No, I had better be going off now. I've got to head down to the Bazaar once, and I believe Idna would like me to visit her - she's my foster mother. I don't know why, but she asked me to see her after my first day."

Owlan's heart sank. "Well, I really do apologize. I was not expecting for that delay." he said, and he hoped that she knew that he meant it.

"I understand. You just prefer Asha over me so you answered her first and only." she said with a bit of a kick. Immedietly after, she shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for and rude."

Owlan didn't say anything, he simply stared at her in disbelief, not knowing what to do or say.

Kahle began walking to the door. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow instructor. Have a nice evening."

Before she left, he came to his senses, and grabbed her arm. "Kahle, I pray to the goddess that you know that's not true. She's demanding and would've complained if I hadn't attended to her first. Please tell me you understand."

Kahle breathed in deeply. "I understand, Owlan." he could tell she was still slightly hurt. "I'll see you tomorrow." she walked away when he released his arm. He watched her walk until she was out of sight, and then he nearly kicked himself.

_What are you doing? She's your student. You can't be in love with her, _he said to himself.

_Be in love_. Those words had actually crossed his mind. _With her_. For Hylia's sake, he had only known her for one day, how could he be in love? He was still trying to convince himself that he didn't even like her, but the progress was slow. Especially now that he was to have her right in front of him for 4 hours a day, he knew his feelings weren't going anywhere. He just had to admit it.

_Maybe I don't even know what love is. After all, I've never felt anything more than mere friendship. This could be just that for all I know_, he thought, but then again, he did know. This was much more than that.

Frustrated with his own self, Owlan walked over to the window. In the distance, he saw the medium-sized crimson red loftwing flying low to the ground near Skyloft. He saw a lone boy who was watching the bird and jumping up and down in excitement. The sight of this made him happy, and he realized that he would have to do something about Kahle. He would not be able to deny his feelings, but at the same time, he would not be able to reveal them to anyone.

He came up with a decision. He would not profess his feelings to anyone, and he would somehow have to convince Asha that her suspicions were not true. At the same time as doing this, he would maintain a perfectly normal teacher-student relationship with Kahle, and try his hardest to make his feelings disappear. It would not be easy, but it would have to be done.

_I cannot be in love, I don't even know what love is_, he thought. He told himself that over and over again until he was sure it would be the only thought in his head, until he glanced out the window once more and saw a petite girl in a blue tunic making her way to the bazaar. It was Kahle.

I am in love. Hopelessly, mind-rivetingly in love, with her.

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><p>After stopping at the bazaar to pick up some supplies that Idna needed, Kahle made her way to her old house.<p>

As she approached the house, all the memories of the years she had lived there were recalled to her. They weren't all bad memories, though some of them were. She had many memories of Idna yelling and Wes acting like she didn't exist. But she also had good memories, like when they first took her in. Her earliest memory that she could recall was when she awoke in the middle of the night due to a nightmare, and Idna came in with a cup of warm milk. She had asked Kahle what the nightmare was about and cuddled her until she fell back asleep. That was one of her favorite memories.

Her home life started to turn downhill when Kahle turned 10. That was when she became a little more independent, and Idna wasn't ready to let go. Wes had suddenly begun to not care about Kahle as much, which just frustrated Idna more. Idna had become distant and somewhat cruel, so Kahle avoided her as much as possible. She constantly made excuses that she was going to practice on her loftwing, which was exactly what she would do. But she didn't exactly practice. She flew Octavian around the sky until she came upon a small little island. This island was dangerously close to the massive storm cloud, but it was as good a place as any to get a little separation.

So Kahle made her trips to this little island more frequent. It turned into sort of a hangout for her, as she had no friends to play with. Idna never found out where she went when she left.

Even though she had only been gone from the house for 2 days, Kahle felt the need to knock. She finally felt like that wasn't her home, though she wasn't exactly sure the academy was either.

The door opened, and Idna stood there, looking her usual, yet greeted Kahle with a smile.

"Hello, dear. Come on in." she said warmly. Kahle entered the house and sat on one of the sofas. It smelled of fresh bread and pasta.

"I just stopped by to tell you how my first day went. I remembered you wanted to know about that." she replied shyly. She didn't know why she was acting different around Idna. Maybe it was because she finally got a life of her own away from her, and she didn't want to get pulled back into her old life.

Idna sat on a couch opposite of Kahle. "Yes, thank you for remembering."

So Kahle explained the day, most of the things Owlan told them about the class and the academy. Idna listened intently. She also told her about the dorms and the students.

"Have you made any new friends?" Idna said, once Kahle had finished.

Kahle exhaled deeply. "No. The only other girls in my class are snobs and I wouldn't even want to be their friends."

"What about guy friends?" Idna smirked, causing Kahle to smile. It was good to see her not so uptight.

"Well," she began, tempted to tell her about how she had gotten well off with Owlan and instructor Horwell, but stopped, fearing Idna would go into lecture about student-teacher relationships again. She kept those details to herself. "No, I haven't made any _guy friends_. I guess I'm still settling into life there."

Idna smiled and let a small laugh. "I'm glad you're liking it so far." she stood up and joined Kahle on the couch she was sitting on. "Know that we miss you here. It was quite the change of pace when you moved out."

Shifting awkwardly in her seat, Kahle managed a smile. "Yeah, it has been weird for me too."

Idna put her hand on top of Kahle's. "And, just so you know, Weslic and I were blessed beyond explanation when you came to us. We love you so much."

"Thanks Idna." that was all Kahle managed to say when Idna showed her more sensitive side. They sat holding hands for a while before Idna stood up.

"Well, would you like to stay for dinner?" she looked at the clock. "It's 2:30 now, but we can eat around 4, if you'd like to stay."

Kahle stood up and adjusted her belt. "No, that's okay. I'm just gonna grab something at the bazaar or go to the academy kitchen for something. Thanks anyway."

"Before you go," Idna walked over to Kahle and embraced her in a hug. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I acted the past 6 years. I wasn't a good mother. And if you feel you need distance from Wes and I, I understand. I wouldn't blame you."

Kahle looked at Idna, and could see that she truly meant her apology. "Well, we'll see where it goes from here."

Idna smiled wider than Kahle had ever seen before. "Thank you, my darling. I love you so much. Come and visit whenever you want."

Kahle said goodbye and headed for the door. Surprisingly, it was harder to leave than she would've ever thought possible. Idna had changed, and this time, it was for the better. She still didn't know if she could be able to mend the broken relationship with her foster parents, but she did know that she loved them, even if it were in the slightest form.

Making her way back to the academy, Kahle began to think about her parents. Her _real_ parents. She had always wondered what they were like, and how different her life would've been if they had raised her. For just a moment, she felt a pang of sadness for the parents she never knew. She was they only child in Skyloft for some time who's parents died when they were young.

_I know they would be proud of me_, she thought. _They would have loved me beyond belief. _She assured herself of this.

She took a deep breath, and smiled at the thought of her parents.

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><p><strong>Please review! Tell me what you think so far, and any predictions you have. I could very well work your opinions into the story! <strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**** - ****Hey guys! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to update. I had most of it written, but then I hit major writer's block, and before I recovered from that, I became super busy with school. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you like the chapter! (and I can promise that some good things begin happening soon!)**

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><p>Kahle didn't sleep well the night after her first day at the academy. Her mind constantly drifted back to the harsh words she had said to instructor Owlan when he had attended to Asha over her.<p>

She knew that he didn't. He had even told her that he preferred her over Asha. She'd gotten herself all worked up over nothing.

When she got ready in the morning, Kahle thought of how she would apologize to Owlan for her behavior yesterday. But for some reason when she thought about talking to him, she got a little giddy.

_Well this is new_, she thought, referring to the butterflies in her stomach. She continued getting ready and decided to ignore what she felt.

At 8:30, Kahle left her room, as she wanted to make sure there was enough time to talk to Owlan privately before the rest of the class showed up. Not only was she determined to apologize, but she did want to ask him the question she had from the day before. It had been bothering her for a while, but she never had anyone she could go to with the problem.

As she descended the stairs, she saw a familiar face at the bottom.

"Instructor Horwell." she said, smiling.

He returned with a wide grin. "Hello Kahle. How was your first day of class yesterday?"

"As good as any, I guess. No real complaints here." she said, though he didn't buy it for a minute.

"Sounds like something spoiled the day. What was it? A person? Topic? Maybe you just don't enjoy the academy?" he suggested, but Kahle merely shrugged.

"There's really no spoiler, except for one person. I don't know if you've seen a medium height girl with short blonde hair? She's got a very shrill sounding voice." she nearly rolled her eyes while describing Asha. That girl annoyed Kahle beyond belief. Not only was she snobby and rude, but she was desperate for attention; especially Owlan's attention.

Horwell clenched his eyebrows in mere confusion. "I don't believe I know of this girl."

"Well, you don't exactly want to know her." Kahle confessed. "She's a real handful. You could even ask instructor Owlan."

"I'm sure he'll give me a full description. He's always got something to say about his students, usually in a good way. But I'm not sure if you know that every year that he's been teaching so far, he's always had at least one student of whom has developed substantial feelings towards him." Horwell explained, and Kahle giggled.

"Yes, he's told me about that. I think this one could be the craziest yet." she said. "Though I'm sure you have had to get the same amount of attention from your students as him, you're practically the same person."

Horwell sighed. "Not as much. One or two once in a while, but he's much more popular. I believe it must be because he's younger."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 28 years old."

Kahle's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, you don't look 28. You look the same age as Owlan."

Horwell nodded. "I've gotten that quite a lot. My wife says it's why people are so intrigued by me."

"Oh, you're married?" Kahle said, slightly interested in her new discovery.

"Yes, we've been married for 3 years now, and we are actually expecting a child." he said with pride. Kahle smiled.

"Congratulations instructor. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" she asked.

"It's a girl. She's due in about 4 months." he said. Kahle saw how truly happy he was talking about his family, and it gave her a sense of calmness.

"How come you don't wear a ring?" she asked, examining his left hand.

Horwell let a small smile. "Lots of people have asked me that, and I truly wish I could wear it. Unfortunately, the intermediate level at the academy deals a lot with hands-on learning. We go out on the loftwings much more than the beginner class, but it's still not nearly as much as the expert. I don't want to risk losing it."

Kahle nodded in agreement. "I get what you mean." she looked at a nearby clock, and it read 8:40. "Oh, I've got to go. I want to make sure to talk to Owlan before class starts." she said.

Horwell smiled again. "I'll see you soon, Kahle. It was great talking to you again!"

"As to you instructor. Bye." she said, and began making her way to the classroom.

Thinking about the way instructor Horwell talked about his family, Kahle pondered over her own life. She never had that feeling with a family. She could never talk about her family and be truly ecstatic about it. But she knew one thing; she _wanted_ that feeling. The feeling of complete and utter happiness and satisfaction of a family.

She also thought about instructor Owlan. He was probably the first real friend she had in her life. She and him had an instant connection, and she did feel a sense of security when she talked to him, despite only knowing him for 2 days now. Kahle realized just how stupid she had acted yesterday with him when Asha interfered. She had no reason to be mad at all. And she didn't want to lose the first real friend she ever had, even if it was her instructor.

So when she approached the classroom, Kahle was relieved to find only instructor Owlan in it. She smiled, the strange feeling in her stomach returning at the sight of him. This time, the feeling was stronger, and much more uncomfortable. But at the same time, she decided that she liked the feeling. _It's very odd, I don't even know what it is,_ she said, but ignored the worry for now.

She took a step inside the classroom. "Owlan." she said.

He looked up from his desk, and she could see instant worry upon his face. "Kahle, you're actually just the person I wanted to see. Look, about yesterday-" before he could finish, Kahle cut him off.

"Actually, that was what I came here for. I was uneasy all night thinking about how I acted, and I'm truly sorry. I had no right to get upset at all." she confessed.

Owlan smiled at her remark. "Thank goodness, I did think you were mad and were hoping to the goddess that you weren't."

"Yeah, I don't know, I guess Asha just kind of gets to me. I try to ignore her, but she's always there." Kahle said, and Owlan nodded.

"I get what you mean. She always has to have her way and throws a fit when she doesn't get it." he said.

"Exactly! Ugh, I hate people like that. Why can't everyone just get along and not be jealous or get in fights?" Kahle ranted.

"Jealous? You think Asha was jealous?" Owlan said, trying to act dumbfounded by the obvious reality. If Asha knew about his feelings in the slightest, he wouldn't want to hint them to Kahle in any way.

Kahle was sort of surprised by his response. "You didn't? It was completely ridiculous. I don't even know what she was jealous of..." she said.

"Maybe it's that she knows you and I have a much better connection than her and I would ever have." he said, immedietly regretting his words. He tried to keep his facial expression as calm as possible, and wondered if she had interpreted his risky words the exact way he hoped she wouldn't.

Luckily, she didn't. She blushed a little, but returned with, "Maybe. She definitely would get jealous of anyone getting along with you better than her."

Owlan sighed to himself. _I didn't give it away_, he thought. "So, Kahle, I'd actually like to know the question you had for me yesterday when Asha so rudely demanded my attention."

Kahle's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! It was actually about my loftwing." she said, but before she continued, she happened to glance at the clock. It was 8:55, and she heard voices from down the hallway. Class was starting in 5 minutes.

Seeing her look at the clock, Owlan's heart sank once more at a missed opportunity to help her. "Class starts in 5 minutes, maybe we can continue this after class?" he suggested, but Kahle shook her head.

"No, Asha would get much too involved again." her eyes sank in disappointment. It was obvious that this question had been bothering her for quite some time.

Then, Owlan had an idea. "Perhaps you could come in later, and we could discuss it later this evening, when everyone's out or in their dorms." Kahle smiled appreciatively.

"Yes, I think that would work. Would 6:00 be okay?" she asked.

Owlan nodded politely. "Works perfect for me. That will give us all the time in the world to get your question answered." he finished. Kahle thanked him and took her seat, and that was when the other students began filling in the seats.

He pondered his words before he began class. _Give us all the time in the world_. Those particular words stuck out to him, and he realized he did want all the time in the world with her, though he was sure he could never get it. He shook his head slightly so no one would notice it, and he moved back behind his desk.

Today, all of the students were in the classroom by the time Owlan wanted to start class, even Asha and her friends. In fact, they were three of the first in the classroom, besides Kahle and another boy. When Asha walked in and saw that Kahle was one of the only students in the room with Owlan, a scowl instantly placed upon her face. She took the seat she had yesterday, one away from Kahle.

"What were you doing here so early?" she said with attitude. Kahle turned her head and rolled her eyes when she realized Asha was talking to her.

"I just got here like, a minute ago." she said, clearly lying. She knew that Asha would have heard her in her room if she had waited that long to come to class.

"Ha, yeah right. So are you gonna answer my question or not?" she demanded, this time turning her entire body to face Kahle, waiting for an answer.

"I don't see why I should. It's none of your business." Kahle responded. She regretted her words almost immediately though.

Asha scoffed loudly. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. I'm not gonna let you have him that easily."

"Okay, I actually don't know what you're talking about." Kahle responded.

"Yes you do. It's obvious you want instructor Owlan." Asha said, luckily not too loud, as only Kahle heard it.

"Woah, now you just sound crazy."

"Do I?" she said, pursing her lips and turning back to the front. She whispered something to her friends, clearly about Kahle, and they all giggled. Kahle ignored them and turned her attention back forward. She looked at Owlan, who was organizing papers for the start of class. Before she knew it, she began thinking about him, and the weird feeling in her stomach returned.

"Okay class, we're going to begin our lesson for today." Owlan said, turning towards the class. Kahle noticed she was smiling when he started talking, and she realized just what the strange fluttery feeling in her stomach was.

_No_, she thought, _it can't be. Not him. I can't like instructor Owlan. He's my _insructor. Kahle pondered this thought for most of the class period. Hardly paying attention, she did hear Asha ask several obnoxiously stupid questions throughout the course of the several hours they were there. At the end of class, just as Kahle had predicted, Asha hurried up to Owlan to ask him another question.

Kahle gathered her things and made for the door. Before she left, she looked back at her instructor. He looked very annoyed, as if it was taking everything he had not to explode on Asha and tell her that her questions are stupid. But being the respectable teacher he is, he maintained himself.

But right before she left the room, Kahle noticed Owlan look up. He was looking at her. When he saw she was looking back, he gave her a quick smile before returning to the arrogant girl in front of him, who seemed not to notice his quick lack of interest. Kahle turned and walked out of the room. She leaned against the wall next to the door of the classroom and sighed to herself. She did like Owlan, she was certain now. But she knew she only liked him to the point that could be controlled.

As she walked back upstairs, she dreadfully thought of what Idna would have said about the situation.

_"Kahle, you know how wrong this is. How did I not raise you well enough to know your own limits? This is terrible, I'm extremely disappointed." _and she probably would've sent her to her room and ranted to Wes some more. Before Kahle moved out, Idna had been very harsh towards her adopted daughter, never giving Kahle's opinion or suggestions any thought. But Kahle wondered if she would still say the same thing now. She had acted compassionately towards her when Kahle went to visit, and it made her rethink her automatic assumptions about Idna.

Kahle brushed the idea away and returned to her room. She recovered her journal from deep inside her dresser, and sat down at her desk to write an extensive entry.

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><p>After quite a while of talking about nothing in particular, Owlan tried once more at getting Asha to leave.<p>

"Asha, you've been here for nearly an hour and a half. It's time you left. I've got things to do." he said impatiently. The girl simply ignored his comment and continued rambling on.

"And I just sometimes go into deep thought about like, what I'm gonna be like someday and what I'm gonna do as a profession and," she smirked a little when she said this, "who I'm gonna marry."

"Asha..." Owlan began, but once again, Asha kept talking.

"Marriage is a cool thing, you know? You have so much love for one person that you are willing to spend the rest of your life with them. I can't wait to be married."

_Who would want to venture into that danger zone?_ Owlan thought as the girl bore on and on. Finally, he decided he had really had enough. Since the girl wouldn't stop talking, he began to walk away from her.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" she said, looking disappointed.

"I've told you repeatedly I have things to do. You've occupied my time for 2 hours, and I really must go." he said. As he began to walk out of the room, he remembered something.

When he turned around, Asha was standing with her arms crossed. Owlan boldly walked back up to her. "Oh, something I wanted to say to you. Where did you get it in your crazy little head that I have a crush on Kahle?"

Asha almost looked shocked at first, but she managed to retain her strong stance. "At first, it was just a guess. But now, the way you talk about it, and her, I'm one-hundred percent positive."

Owlan had no response. He knew he had to think of something quick, or Asha really would have it confirmed for her. "Well, you're wrong." was all he could think of.

She laughed obnoxiously. "Listen to yourself. You can't even think of a decent lie to act like you don't like her." all of the sudden, Asha's expression turned noticably sad, and he knew that she confirmed it now. She knew that Owlan liked Kahle. Luckily, she didn't know the extent of it, but she knew.

"Asha, listen to me. You can't tell _anyone_, and especially not Kahle. I am begging you." he pleaded, and Asha just looked down and nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm not that cruel. Especially now that you confirmed it." she shrugged. "I guess I'll just head out, then."

Owlan sighed tremendously. "Thank you." he said. Asha simply smiled and nodded, and left the classroom. He sat down at his desk and prayed to the goddess that Asha kept her word.

_I don't even know what I'd do if Kahle found out, _he thought. He had only known her for 3 days. That was barely enough time to get to know someone. How could he be on love? Owlan tried to tell himself that he didn't know the depths of love, so it could not be love, but he knew he was kidding himself.

When he looked at the clock, it was now 3:00. He normally didn't stay in his classroom for longer than 30 minutes after class, but due to Asha, this was the first time he'd stayed longer. He got up and left the classroom. He decided to go back to his room to blow off the three hours time before he had to meet Kahle.

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><p>3 hours later, Kahle had finished her entry in her journal. She stashed it deep in her closet again, making sure no one would find it. The only person she was ever worried about coming into her room was Asha, who she was sure would eventually come snooping.<p>

Right before Kahle left her room to go meet Owlan, she heard giggling from Asha's room. She didn't need to press her ear to the wall to hear what they were saying, though she wondered why she didn't hear them while she was writing in her journal.

"So, he actually stuck around to talk to you? Asha, I think that's a good sign!" a girl squealed. It was one of Asha's friends. Kahle shook her head and left the room.

What Kahle didn't hear was the most important information.

"Yeah, but it was 3 hours ago. And besides, I already know he doesn't like me." Asha said, discouraged.

"Just because you think he likes Kahle doesn't mean he actually does. You can't know for sure." her other friend said.

"No, I do know. He confirmed it."

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><p>As Kahle walked down to Owlan's classroom, she became suddenly nervous.<p>

_No_, she told herself. _Don't be nervous. You don't like instructor Owlan._ She got to the classroom and walked inside. Right as she entered, she saw Owlan sitting at his desk. He was reading a book, and he had reading glasses on. Kahle smiled at the sight. She knocked on the wall to inform him of her presence. He looked up from his book and his face lit up.

"Kahle, come in, I'll pull up a chair across my desk." he said, already standing up and walking over to retrieve a chair.

"Oh, that's alright, I can get it myself." she said, but Owlan still insisted on bringing the chair to her. Once Kahle was seated, Owlan settled into his chair, removing his glasses. "Wow, I didn't know you wore glasses."

He set his glasses down on his desk. "Ah, yes. As a child, I was much too fascinated with the sky, and often would try to stare directly into the sun, causing partial blindness. Luckily, it's not severe, just tiny print appearing blurred." he said.

Kahle laughed, causing Owlan to looked confused. "I feel like I'd expect that of you. Y'know, you come off as this super sophisticated guy, who didn't even know when to stop staring at the sun." she continued laughing. He attempted to state his rebuttal, but seeing her laugh only made him laugh.

They continued on like that for a while, with giggly conversations. After a while, Kahle did manage to shift the conversation back to the reason that she was there.

"So, before I completely forget it, I have to ask you my question." She said. Owlan's heart sunk. He liked the way things were going.

"Okay, go ahead." he shifted in his chair. Kahle looked up to think about her question, and Owlan looked at her. He admired her features, like the way her hair fit around her face even in a braid, and how she chewed on her lip when she was thinking about something.

"It's about my loftwing." she said, and took a deep breath. "Now, I'm about to tell you something that nobody knows about me, and you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Of course." he said, a little nervous to where this was leading, but also excited because he was about to learn something about her that no one else knew.

"Okay. My loftwing is the yellow one." she revealed. At first Owlan showed no emotion, but after a while, he looked shocked.

"Wow. I can't believe I didn't put the pieces together. On the first day of class, you were the only one who didn't raise their hand when I asked if anyone had one of the basic-colored loftwings. I remember because I was confused." he said, as if solving a huge mystery. "I, I hate to be a bother, but is there any chance that I could see your loftwing?"

Kahle's smile faded a little, and Owlan knew he shouldn't have asked. He was lucky enough that she shared that secret with him.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I don't know why I asked that. You don't have to show me."

"No, it's alright, we can go." Kahle said, regaining her full smile. Owlan lowered his head a bit in embarrassment, but returned her smile. She began walking out the door, and he followed slightly behind.

Outside, the sky was turning the slightest orange, signalling the start of nightfall. Since loftwings could not fly at night, they wouldn't be able to go for a ride on Kahle's loftwing. As soon as they left the building, Kahle turned left, headed for the stairs, and away from the closest take-off ramp.

When Kahle saw Owlan's confusion, she elaborated. "Octavian's really shy. I have to go to the most isolated ramp, or else he'll be really fidgety when I ride him."

"Ah, is that what you wanted to ask me about?"

"Well, sort of. He's always been jumpy, but lately, it's been different. It's almost like he knows something is going to happen, and he's been taking different routes throughout the sky, even if I direct him to go a certain way."

Owlan frowned. "That is peculiar. And he has never shown behavior like this before?"

"No, just recently it started." Kahle said. They walked down to the lowest part of the residential Skyloft, across a wooden pathway below the Bazaar to reach the most unused take-off ramp in all of Skyloft. You could tell it wasn't used often. The grass around the wood and rock was greener, and the dirt was more intact.

Stepping onto the ramp, Kahle whistled a four-pitched tune loudly into the sky. After several moments, her whistle was returned with a loud cry from a distant. She made no movement to dive off of the ramp, intending for her loftwing to land on the ground.

When her loftwing appeared, Owlan's jaw dropped. The bright yellow bird stuck out greatly in the fading blue sky. It's movements were graceful and it's wings were magnificent. Kahle noticed the look on his face, she giggled. This reaction to her loftwing was common. She saw how people looked up at him in the sky from the commons or outside the Bazaar, and they looked absolutely amazed. Though this was the first person to know who the bird belonged to. The loftwing performed a spinning dive in the air, and Owlan nearly had to fight for breath.

"Th-that move..." he began, but couldn't seem to finish his thought just yet. He continued staring at the bird in awe, until it landed next to him. The loftwing nuzzled against Kahle, slightly cowaring in front of the stranger. Owlan regained himself and his puzzling thought. "Where did he learn that move? The _spiral charge_ is a move that even well-trained knights struggle to maintain. And I, myself, admit that my loftwing cannot perform it healthily."

Kahle shrugged. "He's spontaneous. I was riding him one day, and I made a sharp turn to the left to avoid another loftwing, and he suddenly was spinning throughout the air."

Owlan was still stunned. "What did you say his name was? Octavian?" Kahle nodded. "That's an interesting name. Why'd you chose it?"

"When I was young, it sounded really cool to me. I was planning on walking around when I was grown up and bragging that my loftwing was named Octavian. Of course, I don't do that. I never really found out any other significance of the name, but it has grown on me." she said, running her hand down the loftwing's neck.

Owlan focused his attention on how comfortable Kahle looked with Octavian. For once in the time he had known her, she looked truly happy. When she talked about anything else, he could always see a glimpse of doubt in her eyes, as if there was something missing in her life. But here, standing with her loftwing, the edges of her mouth curved into the smallest form of a smile, he knew that this was where she could be herself.

Then, he remembered the reason they were out there in the first place. "Kahle, about his behavior," he began, taking a small step towards her and her loftwing. The bird stared directly at him and hopped back as soon as he stepped forward.

"Oh gosh, this is what I mean. He's terrified of everything lately. I just don't understand it." she said.

"I do believe I have seen a case like this before, although I was much younger. Now, as you know, loftwings are our protectors, and they have a sense at what is best for us. So I believe it would be in your highest interest to take the routes that Octavian suggests for you." he said, studying the bird's behavior and how Octavian kept a steady eye on Owlan. "He just may be saving you from any harm."

Kahle looked to the side, pondering the information Owlan had just told her. Then, she smiled and patted her loftwing even more. "Oh, you're just watching out for me, aren't you? Good boy." she said in a gooey, baby voice. Owlan chuckled. "So I don't have anything to be worried about?"

"Not as far as I'm concerned, and when it comes to you, my concern is great." he said, not interpreting what he just spoke. His eyes grew wide with embarrasment, but luckily Kahle was too focused on her bird to even process what he had just said.

The sun had sunk lower than they realized, and they heard the loud conversations of the Bazaar shop owners closing the market up for the night.

"We should head back." Kahle said, and Owlan nodded in agreement. Kahle walked towards the ramp with Octavian, kissed him on the neck, and ran her hand down his wing, making his feathers perk up. "I'll see you tomorrow, I promise we'll go for a long ride." Owlan heard her whisper delicately to her bird. She patted him twice on the back, and he launched into the sky, the mass of yellow dominating over the light navy blue color of the sky.

The two started walking back to the academy. Neither of them took notice to the small amount of space that separated them. Kahle swayed her arms behind her back as she admired the bright colors surrounding the almost-set sun.

"So," she said, smirking up at Owlan, "why Nostalgia?"

"Wow, I wasn't even sure you were listening to that lecture." he said, slightly raising his eyebrows.

Kahle reached her hands all the way around her back to grab each of her opposite elbows. "I always listen to your lectures intently." she couldn't see it, but Owlan's face lit up. He got much more excited than he should have to learn that Kahle actually listened in his class, which was something he should have just expected.

"So go on, let's hear it." she said when he didn't respond right away. "And don't make the excuse that I don't know what it means. I've got a rather large vocabulary."

Owlan let a small laugh and sighed. "Well, since you know the definition of it, you could guess my meaning behind it."

"Yeah, but I want to hear you explain it." she said.

"Well, when I was a child, I had a very fortunate life. My parents and I were very close, and I was lucky to have such a strong bond with them. We used to have to many good times together. My father taught be how to ride my loftwing, and my mother taught me how to care for him. But when I was 18, the day before I graduated from the academy, a letter came for me." Kahle noticed himm staring at the ground with a sorrowful look on his face. "It was from the Skyloft enfirmary, telling me that my parents had mysteriously been found dead in their home. In _our_ home."

Kahle felt her heart sink a little. "Oh, instructor, I'm so sorry."

"I was told that it was some rare sickness that strikes very few people throughout Skyloft. I was also told that there was no research on the disease, due to the rate that it spreads and kills." he said, looking very sad now. Kahle put her hand on his arm. She found it surprisingly hard and muscular.

"I know what you're going through. If I'm not wrong, my parents died of the same thing. It is said to affect the people in the closest vicinity with the victim." she said, reviving the pain she felt when she was told the news of her parents. "I was 4 when I received the news."

Owlan looked at Kahle as if someone had just slapped him. "4 years old. That's far too young to experience something so traumatizing."

Kahle merely shook her head, trying her best not to cry.

"I grew up with a foster family, if you've ever heard of me. I was quite the talk when I was first taken in, being the first orphan Skyloft has ever had."

Owlan put his left hand on Kahle's, which was still on his arm. Both of them slightly jumped at the contact, but neither pulled their hand away. They continued standing like that for a minute, before finishing their trip back to the academy.

As soon as Owlan opened the door for Kahle at the front entrance, she turned back toward him. "So, you named him Nostalgia as a memorial to your parents, and to ensure you never forgot them?" but apart of her regretted the way she said it. After the words had left her mouth, she realized they were slightly insulting to the memory of his parents. _As if he'd forget his own parents_, she thought, nearly smacking herself on the head for her stupidity.

But he didn't look the slightest bit hurt at what she said. "Precisely. I like to remember the good times." he said.

They walked up the stairs and stopped outside of her room.

"Instructor, thank you so much for tonight. It's such a relief knowing Octavian is alright and that I was worrying over nothing." she smiled at him, and he felt his face grow hot.

"I am your instructor, Kahle, so if you ever need anything else, I am here for you." he replied, trying his best to emphasize the word _instructor_, even though Kahle didn't exactly need reminding of that, as far as he knew. It was more of a reminder for himself.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Even though we don't have class, I could pop in to say hello or maybe have a quick chat." Kahle suggested, fidgiting with her hands. "After all, you are basically my only friend."

Owlan smiled. "I'd rather like that."

Kahle nodded. "See you then, instructor." she said, and entered her room. He stood at the door for a minute, wishing she would come back out. He was tempted to knock on the door and profess everything to her right then and there, but he couldn't. He let a deep breath, shook his head and walked away.

What Owlan didn't know was that Kahle, too, stood at her door after entering. She breathed heavy breaths and scrunched her eyes, wishing she had a reason to go back out. _This is stupid,_ she thought, _you just spent two hours with the guy, and the minute he leaves, you miss him? Pull yourself together, Kahle_. She silently screamed to herself, regained her control, and walked to her bed.

Owlan and Kahle each fell asleep with longing thoughts for one another.


End file.
